TUESDAY, Sept. 16, 2003 (HealthDayNews) -- If you buy herbal products over the Internet, beware: Misleading health claims about the herbs are rampant, a new study finds.
"The most surprising finding was how commonly these products are marketed by disease [prevention or treatment] claims," says Dr. Charles A. Morris, a physician at the Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School. Those claims are prohibited without preapproval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Morris and his colleague, Dr. Jerry Avorn, evaluated 443 Web sites pertaining to the health-related uses of herbal products taken by mouth. They found that 338, or 76 percent of them, either sold an herbal product or linked the visitor directly to a vendor. Of those, 273, or 81 percent, offered at least one health claim. And of those, 55 percent, or 149, claimed to treat, prevent, diagnose or cure specific diseases -- despite the regulations prohibiting that kind of statement.
The research appears in the Sept. 17 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Under regulations governing the labeling claims for dietary supplements (which herbal products are considered), notably the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994, it is acceptable to make a "structure or function" claim, without preapproval by the FDA. An example would be that saw palmetto supports prostate function.
But claiming a relationship between a product and a disease or condition requires that the maker submit data to the FDA proving that it works. For instance, a claim that folate may reduce a woman's risk of giving birth to a child with a spinal cord defect needs FDA preapproval.
More than half the sites did not have the standard FDA disclaimer, which reads, "This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Adminstration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease."
Morris and Avorn found plenty of examples of unsubstantiated disease claims, such as valerian root being effective for stress conditions, kava kava helping to counter urinary infections, and echinacea valuable for infection treatment.
Petra Eichelsdoerfer, a registered pharmacist and naturopathic physician at Bastyr University in Seattle, calls their study "disturbing."
Consumers considering the use of herbal products, she says, should first discuss the product with a health-care provider who is trained in the correct use of herbs.
"I think there is growing awareness among physicians and consumers that these products have an efficacy and side effect profile that makes them more similar to prescription drugs, not less," Morris says. He urges more legislation to regular herbal products.
"Some of these products have demonstrated efficacy," he says, emphasizing that he is not against the use of herbs but that manufacturers who make health claims need to prove them.
Meanwhile, he adds that "consumers should remember these products are not regulated by drugs. If they are reading a claim that a product is effective in the treatment of a disease, they should discuss it with their health-care provider."
In a related study in the same journal, John Markowitz, an associate professor of pharmaceutical sciences at the Medical University of South Carolina, found that the herb St. John's wort adversely affected the metabolism of the anti-anxiety drug alprazolam (Xanax).
Other documented interactions between St. John's wort and other drugs are plentiful, Markowitz says, including birth control pills, an antidepressant, immunosuppressant drugs, and an antihistamine.
More information
Read a Food and Drug Administration advisory on St. John's wort and drug interactions. The agency also has tips on using supplements wisely. For the industry's take on herbs, visit the American Herbal Products Association.
